


someone to watch over me

by juguitos



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hospital, Its more like the 'rescue' fic no one asked me for, Kidnapping, M/M, Panic Attacks, ben is STILL suffering with the guilt of Paul you CANT change my mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:07:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22743736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juguitos/pseuds/juguitos
Summary: It was Phil.It should have always been Phil.This was Phil’s problem and it should have never been up to Ben to deal with Keanu, but that mentality that was ingrained into his head since he was a child“you protect your family”is what has driven him to do the unimaginable. And now? He’s suffering the consequences of that mantra.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 7
Kudos: 153





	someone to watch over me

**Author's Note:**

> i went to sleep thinking about those first two lines and then woke up and had to type this up :/

It was Phil.

It should have always been Phil.

This was Phil’s problem and it should have never been up to Ben to deal with Keanu, but that mentality that was ingrained into his head since he was a child _“you protect your family_ ” is what has driven him to do the unimaginable. And now? He’s suffering the consequences of that mantra.

Callum. His sweet Callum, after being separated for a month and being able to rekindle their relationship in the past two weeks is now kidnapped.

His heart, mind and soul are aching for Callum and his safety.

“Where is he?!” He grits out in between teeth, he’s looming over Keanu’s bloody and beaten body.

Phil is there too, red faced and bloodied hands, his anger towards Keanu and Ben interlacing with each other.

“It’s too late now Ben” he blurts out in between heavy breaths and a blood filled gurgle.

Ben lunges forward to Keanu’s body grabbing him by the lapels of his coat and picking him up, slamming him back down on the ground.

“Tell me where he is, now!” He’s trying his best to not lose it completely, he needs to keep everything under control, needs to not let his emotions cloud his actions, but he can’t let a repeat of Paul happen, not again. Not when they had just recently got back. Paul didn’t deserve what happened to him because of Ben’s actions and Callum didn’t deserve this either.

He lifts his fist as he sees a smirk spread across Keanu’s face and he strikes him; over and over and over again.

Anger and fear are now clouding his mind. All he sees is red; _blood, anger, fear_. It’s all there, clouding his actions.

“Ben!” Ben hears it as if it were distant but Phil is right next to him, and Phil’s voice breaks through to him, like it always does.

Ben looks up at Phil now, his vision now blurred by tears and his face is covered with Keanu’s blood, his fist is red from the impact against Keanu’s face and it’s bloodied, whose blood? It’s hard to tell, but he can only assume it’s a mixture of both.

“He’s at that warehouse where we used to meet up with Danny”

Ben stands up too fast, getting in Phil’s space, his face now red with anger.

“You knew? And you didn’t bother to tell me? My boyfriend could be dying and you’ve always known? Really dad?”

“I didn’t know anything, I put things together, and I ain’t _stupid_ like _you_.”

Ben takes a deep breath, remembering those words Phil had told him just 3 weeks ago ” _I’m proud that you’re my boy”_ and _knowing_ that Phil when he gets his chance will take it all back; Phil going back to reducing Ben to nothing but a burden and mistake, a shame to the _Mitchell_ name. Ben glances down at Keanu and with the anger that has started to boil deep within him again; he throws one hard kick at Keanu.

“This ain’t over yet” is the last thing he hears Phil shout at him as Ben is running towards his car and making his way to that warehouse.

For Callum, Ben needs to stay calm and collected. He reaches for his phone and dials Stuart.

“Ben? Have you found him?” His voice is laced with fear.

“Not yet but I know where he’s held at” Ben’s struggling too much to keep calm, he wants to scream and cry but not now, not when Callum is still out there, not when the temperature keeps dropping.

Ben tells Stuart where the warehouse is at, “hurry”

\--

Once Ben is there, he rushed out of the car, running towards the entrance of the warehouse.

“Callum!” He feels the exhaustion start to try and take over him. But he can’t give up, not yet, not when his boyfriend is still in danger. He’s running looking around and doesn’t see anything.

“Callum!” He shouts again, hoping that he can get a response.

“Ben?” He hears his name in the distance and tries to pinpoint the location of where it came from.

“Callum, babe, call for me!” He sees a faint light and heads to that source.

“Ben!” He hears him clearer now and now he’s running again, he runs up the stairs and then he sees him.

Callum in his suit that he was meant to wear for his police assessment, all dirtied and bloodied.

Ben is next to him, pulling Callum into his arms, finally letting his emotions take over him, and he lets the tears start rolling down his face.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Callum”

He brings his hands up and places them against Callum’s neck and leans in to press a kiss to Callum’s lips but pulls back when Callum winces.

“Sorry, sorry” he says again, his hands reaching for the chain that is wrapped around Callum’s wrists. It was a poor kidnapping job of Keanu, Ben was easily able to unhook the chain and set Callum free of those confinements. He works quickly to undo the rope that is around Callum’s hands and his feet and is angered when he sees how bruised and bloodied Callum’s wrists are.

“I’m going to _kill_ him” he grits out.

“No you ain’t Ben, you ain’t like that “Callum’s voice trembles “I _know_ you ain’t, you wouldn’t do it” his voice goes slow and is a near mumble, but Ben catches everything he says. And then Callum lets his body slump against Ben’s chest and his breathing has slowed down.

“Callum? Callum!” He pulls himself away from Callum’s body that is not responding.

“No, no no no no!” It feels like a mantra, _no not again, I can’t lose you, not like I lost Paul._

“Shhh, ‘m tired” Callum’s voice is soft but he’s still here, still with Ben.

“Jesus Cal, don’t do that” he lets Callum’s body slump again against his and he gets his coat off and wraps it around Callum’s shoulders “I thought I was going to lose you” he’s running his hands up and down against Callum’s back trying to produce more heat.

His phone starts ringing again, it’s Stuart.

Stuart finds them almost instantly, emotions of fear and anger are fighting against each other as his eyes land on Callum and as he looks questionably at Ben

“Is he...is he...”

“No, no he ain’t. He’s just tired…just help me take him to the car, please”

Stuart alone lifts his brother’s body from Ben’s arms and takes him to Ben’s car.

“Ben, we should take him to the hospital”

“No, no hospital” Callum’s wrecked voice comes from inside of the car, he’s turning his body, wincing in pain, “just—just wanna go home… _please_ , Ben” his body begins to shiver and Ben hurries to turn on the heating of the car.

“I’m taking him home, I’ll call ya if anything alright Stuart? Let me take him home”

Stuart nods at that, “alright, alright, but call me yeah? If _anything_ happens.”

Ben nods at that and puts the car in drive.

“I’ll see you later bruv” he pats Callum on his shoulder and waves goodbye at Ben.

Callum turns his body, facing towards Ben, still shivering and every once in a while wincing in pain. He slowly reaches out his hand for Ben’s and laces their fingers together. The tears in Ben’s eyes are making it hard for him to drive, he wipes at them angrily and looks over at Callum, regardless of all the bruising and blood that is covering his fair skin, he now looks peaceful. He has a soft smile now across his face.

“I’ve missed you” he whispers, and then his head lulls completely. Ben panics. _No_.

“Callum?!” he tugs at his hand, gripping it tighter, and he gets no response. He makes a hard turn and heads to the hospital, which to his luck was only a few minutes away. He pulls into the Emergency driveway and runs inside, frantic and shouting

“My—my boyfriend, he’s been attacked, please HELP HIM!”

“Where is he!?” a nurse asks as he approaches Ben, trying to calm him down.

“In—in my car, he’s…please just help him, he ain’t movin’ or breathin’”

The nurse calls for backup, and rushes towards Ben’s car. He quickly assesses the situation as two other nurses appear with a gurney.

Everything happens in a flash. One second Callum is still inside Ben’s car, fighting for his life, and the other he’s being rushed into the ER, the nurses saying things he doesn’t quite understand aside from _“Male, late twenties, critical condition”._ They don’t let him follow inside, regardless of the amount of times he says that’s _his_ boyfriend, tears streaming down his face. People are looking at him, like if he was a walking disease himself.

“Sir, if you could please go and move your vehicle, we would really appreciate it—”the ER guard begins to ask Ben.

“I ain’t moving from here” he’s biting at his finger nails. He’s fidgety, his phone in his hand, turning it over and over in his hand.

“Then, would you have a problem if I moved your car?”

“No…no, I don’t care, I just—”he’s breaking down, and the officer gets the attention of a nurse and points towards Ben.

\--

It happens all in a flash again for Ben. One second he feels like there isn’t a way that he can get enough air into his lungs, the other second he feels calm, breathing normally and like he’s floating on cloud nine. He’s got an oxygen cannula firmly in place, which is how he knows he’s being able to breathe properly.

He stirs, looking around the room and not recognizing anything, he looks to his left and there’s a nurse next to him, taking his vitals, and clicking on buttons on the machines surrounding him.

“Ah, you’ve woken! My name is Mollie, and I’m your nurse for the night” the nurse, Mollie, says, her ponytail bouncing around as she moves closer to Ben to continue assessing him.

“Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital, Mr. Mitchell. We had to administer Diazepam, because you were having a severe case of panic attack. The doctor has been around, and ordered for you to be on IV fluids at least for the night”

“Why am I in the hospital?”

She gives him an _Ah, you don’t remember, do you?_ kind of look.

“The nurses that took you in said you came shouting that your boyfriend had been attacked—“

“Where’s Callum?!”

“Callum? Is that his name? Such a lovely and handsome man you’ve got there Ben—“

“Please…how is he?”

“You feeling up to checking up on him?”

Ben nods, his head feeling completely heavy and painful with the action. She smiles at him, and stands up from her stool and turns around and opens the curtain next to Ben’s bed.

Right next to Ben, in his own bed, is Callum. His face is badly bruised and swollen, and he’s got a stitch on his right eyebrow.

“Is he…is he going to be okay?”

“We’re keeping him under observation. The attack your boyfriend endured was pretty severe, also your boyfriend was heavily dehydrated, so we’ve also got him on IV fluids, and he seems to have a few bruised ribs. He’s also got a bruised liver—but nothing he won’t be able recover from in a few weeks!” She sees the tears forming in Ben’s eyes and reaches out a hand to touch his, gently squeezing.

“Ben, when you’re ready and able, we can call the police so they can take your statement about the attack, alright?”

“Is he awake?”

“He’s heavily sedated and on strong pain medication, at the moment. He might be out of it for a few hours—but you can try talking to him, I’ve seen loved ones have full conversations with the patients and sometimes when they hear their voices they wake up” she looks around making sure no one can hear her and leans forward “I won’t lie, Ben, sometimes the patients are so out of it they’ll talk right out their asses and make no sense.” She smiles when she sees Ben start forming a smile, and looking over at Callum.

“Why don’t you try and get some rest and tomorrow you try talking with him”

He nods at that and with a dull pain in his heart, lets his eyes close. For now, knowing that Callum was still here with him is all the peace he needed.

\--

Ben’s having nightmares. He hasn’t been able to shake off the memories of last night. The fear of losing the love if his life again, not again, not after Paul.

“CALLUM!” he jolts awake, not being able to get enough air into his lungs again. He looks around the room, not remembering where he’s at; he looks down at his arm and sees the IV line that is on his forearm. There are nurses rushing into the room.

“CALLUM!”

“Ben calm down!” Mollie, he remembers her, is there.

He hears shuffling around the room, but it feels distant, too distant, but he hears _him_.

“ _What’s wrong with him? Ben? Ben! Ben look at me, I’m right here”_

Ben is frantically searching for his voice, but he can’t find him. It’s just a distant memory, and it’s all his fault, just like Paul had been his fault. He starts feeling the effects of the medicine taking over him, and suddenly, right next to him being held up by two nurses is Callum.

“Callum…”

“Ben, I’m right here. I’m okay”

It’s the last thing he sees before he blacks out. Callum. Still here, alive, being held up by two nurses.

\--

When Ben wakes up again, he sees the harsh lights above him. He feels more at calm, finally being able to grasp his reality, a reality he thought he had lost again.

He looks next to him, and sitting on of the uncomfortable hospital chairs, pulled up right next to him, is Callum, eyes closed, and breathing in slowly. Ben can’t help but smile as he hears Callum’s soft snoring. His hand reaches out for him, just to make sure it’s all real. When his hand makes contact with Callum’s skin, he feels a bolt of electricity go through him. It’s real. _He’s_ real. He’s _here_.

“Oi, sleepyhead, get on over here” he’s gently nudging at Callum, who stirs awake and has got a big smile spread across his face.

“Who you calling sleepyhead, eh? You’ve been sleepin’ most of the day” Callum winces a bit as he makes to stand up, and is pleased that he’s actually able to do it with less pain when he had first gotten off his bed. Ben scooches over in his bed and relishes in the moment that the bed dips and suddenly Callum is next to him in his bed, albeit a hospital bed. Callum is warm; just how Ben remembers him. He’s warm like a sunny day, where he lets the sun kiss his skin until its pink, and Ben had missed that so much.

He brings his hand up and lightly traces against Callum’s cheekbone, and down his jaw and across his lips.

“Can I?”

Callum leans in and presses his lips against Ben’s. Ben feels at home. That light that had left him is suddenly too bright and he can’t help but just smile against Callum’s lips. He feels ecstatic to be this close to him again.

When Callum pulls away from the kiss, a soft little sigh escapes his lips.

“Thought I’d never get to kiss ya again” He opens his eyes and is met with Ben’s too blue eyes glossed over; cheeks flushed, and bottom lip trembling.

“I missed ya, Cal. I—“he bites his lower lip at the thought that had crossed his mind the second that Keanu tossed him Callum’s tie “I really thought I was gonna lose you”

“Well, ya ain’t, Ben. I’m not going anywhere” he smiles at Ben.

_It’s now or never_ is all Ben can think about as he’s looking at Callum’s bruised face. He’s got purple, and blue, yellow and green and red all over his delicate face. Had it been another situation, he would’ve assumed Callum was Lexi’s victim in her Princess Tea Party shenanigans, but it wasn’t. The reality was that Ben was at fault, and Callum had to pay the consequences.

He brings his hand up again, and holds Callum’s cheek gently in his palm; he leans up and oh so gently, presses his lips against Callum’s once again.

It’s a near whisper but he says it, like a sinner finally confessing his ultimate slight against God and finally being able to find redemption from the man above him, “I love you, Callum”, he finalizes his confession by bringing his lips against Callum’s again, “I love ya so _damn much_ ”

“I know, I’ve always known Ben” Callum is glowing, even with his swollen face, Ben can see it, “I love you too, Ben”


End file.
